Part II: In Which Peregrin Took is Dubbed a 'Ditsy Sidekick'

Life just wasn't the same without the Haveners. We stayed in the area, but they just kept moving further and further away. Unfortunately, this meant our visits became further and further apart. We were invited to go visit every year for Emily's birthday which was seldom uneventful and never sufficient. Full of adventures like little boys sledding into tailpipes, magnificent thunderstorms toppling trees across the driveway left every child praying for something to detain us overnight, determined that one day we would succeed in our endeavors.

On one of our infrequent sojourns to Holmes County (where our friends now resided), Hayley, of the Findlay Haveners and dear cousin, was staying with Emily. Us girls had a marvelous time together romping i the words discussing makeup and nail polish, but when we went inside, there was no escaping the inevitable Lord of the Rings discussion.

The reader must first understand that were are the kind who pick apart book and movie alike to see how accurate everything on screen has been interpreted, who find in necessary to dicuss character relationships at great lengths, who keep a copy of Tolkien's own Complete Guide to Middle Earth next to our dictionaries, and who must, MUST breakdown the lineup to WHO is the cutest... inside and out. This is where Pippin Comes in.

I was an aficionado. Always had been. Pippin was my favorite. Hayley couldn't agree. Not having seen the movies yet didn't exactly help her opinion either. No, to her Peregrin Took was a ditsy sidekick. This made me laugh and I had to agree with her because I like the term so much, but it didn't change my feelings for Pip, not one bit. We parted ways agreeing to disagree, destined to be wonderful friends. (It should be duly noted the Hayley has since become a great admirer of Pippin.)

Another time, we were all saying our goodbyes, Jonathan was sending each Hopkins into the van with a pleasant hug. I was the last to get in and he turned to me and said, "I would give you a hug, but I don't think you would like it, so I won't." And shut the door behind me. O! Woe was I! How unfeeling, how cruel! What assumptions that affect our lives! Sullen and dejected, I rode the entire 1.5 hour ride home in silent contemplation about the blissful embrace I had so sorely missed out on! Alright, so I was disappointed, but had no idea why. Well, I know now...

Our visits were all promising of great fun, and when we were all together we wondered why we stayed apart so long. Then it came. The four-hundred years of silence. Actually it was only four, and they weren't completely silent. For various reasons we couldn't make it to their house for Emily's birthday three years in a row. For reasons unbeknown to me, we forgot how much funny we used to have with them and the news that 'this year just wasn't going to work out' was followed merely by momentary disappointment. As we neared the close of those four years our contact gradually diminished, until Ruby and I reconnected with Jonathan via virtual communication in the Autumn of 2009. Ruby talked to him quite alot, and I never did. She would tell me what a wonderfully cheerful guy he was all the time, and so I felt inspired to write a parody for and about him, assuring him the rewritten song "His For Life" had no romantic implications. Riiiiight. Regardless, he enjoyed the new words immensely.

Then came December and Peter was getting married. Somehow, by God's providential decree, the Havener's made it off the waiting list and were bestowed an invitation... which they accepted with great anticipation. I couldn't have been more excited to greet our friends on the wedding day, and reminisce with them on what wonderful times we used to enjoy with each other. Only, I was a member of the wedding party and I had to wait before released to indulge in such pleasures. When the time finally came, I rushed forth with one thing on my mind: find the Haveners at all costs. My quick scan of the reception hall produce no visual of what I was seeking, and meeting up with Ruby, my heart sank and hit the floor.

"They left!"

(To be continued.)